Cursed Demon Kissed 2 Page 0,41

If I was closer to Collin, I could tell if it was truly him.

Contact with the Pool didn't make me writhe as I stepped into the waters. I felt the cold snares trying to snake through my legs, searching for my soul, but I had very little soul left to steal. I hoped they wouldn't find it before I reached the Guardian - the perfect image of Collin. My pulse pumped the blood through my body so fast that it felt like I'd run miles. Anticipation and dread pooled together violently in my stomach as I neared him. His cool eyes rested on me, watching me approach. He ignored Shannon, as she dragged Eric out of sight.

Apryl sat watching, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

This is an illusion, I told myself. It's not him. Certainty washed over me as he stood inches from my body. I could reach out and touch him. So, I did. I threw my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his. A cold blast was created as soon as our lips joined. It collided with the shadows I called to shroud my scent. Combined, they tore through me in a wave of sharp, cold pain. The familiar feeling of flesh ripping from bone consumed me. As the piece of soul I had remaining, broke free, I shivered. If he took that piece, if it was large enough, I would be Valefar. And yet, this was the only way to pass into the Underworld without Kreturus being aware of my presence. I felt the golden warmth of my spirit traveling rapidly towards my lips. I hoped I knew what I was doing. There was nothing to base my decision on, but a hunch. When my soul passed my heart, the coldness clamped down harder. It felt like I was being crushed under a massive block of ice. My body was resisting, but I could feel it wouldn't be mine to command much longer if I finished this kiss. The Pool was already doing something to me. I felt the demon blood coursing through my veins like shards of glass. I wanted to scream out unable to endure the pain.

My soul approached my mouth slowly, like it was caught on a line. The Guardian's kiss carefully pulled it closer and closer to my lips. His fingers threaded through my hair, gently brushing my cheek. It was the way Collin had kissed me. That kiss lingered in my thoughts constantly. I leaned into him wishing it were Collin. My eyelids suddenly became heavy, as a flash of warmth shot through my belly. The pain was erased. It made me feel like I could stay like this forever with him - just the two of us, wrapped together, with his lips on mine. When I leaned into him more, a distant voice shrieked, but I didn't stop. This was where I wanted to be. This is where I was safe. Here with Collin. Bliss shot through me, coursing through my veins and making me feel invincible.

It wasn't until I felt the warmth of my soul flood my mouth, that I heard his voice.

A faint voice brushed the inside of my mind. It's not me Ivy. Drive the Guardian back before there is nothing left of you.

Collin? Collin! I could hear him! Oh God, then who was I kissing? Fear snapped me back to reality. Before I knew what overtook me, my powers surged. Black mist swirled around me, encasing my soul-ravaged body. A bright light no larger than a spec of sand flashed. At the same time, I was thrown back onto the shore. The remaining piece of my soul slid back down my throat when I hit the ground, and warmed my blood in the process. Disoriented, I looked over at the lake to see Collin's ethereal form shoot back into the Pool and dissolve into the waters. I breathed deeply, relieved.

But, this wasn't over yet. The creature resurfaced, snarling with a mouth filled of daggers. Its water-like form was blazing with blue and green flames. The Guardian's red eyes locked with mine as it cried out in rage. Too terrified to move, I stood there watching. The Guardian shot across the water, making a deafening noise that paralyzed me with terror. My heart was about to explode in my chest. There wasn't enough air to fill my heaving lungs.

A hand pulled at my shoulder urgently, "Go! Go now! Once you pass, it can't touch you."